Dill Rosemary Basil Herbs Ginger Cilantro Mint What is an Herb? • Plants that are used as flavoring agents • Leaves, seeds or roots can be used • Usually used in small amounts • Many may be used for medicinal or ornamental purposes Basil Basil • Mint-like annual herb used for cooking, garnish, or medicinal purposes • Readily cross pollinates and several hybrids available • Grown in plots of less than 0.1 acre for local sales • A source of organic insecticide and fungicide • Pests: Japanese beetle; annual weeds • Disease: Botrytis, leaf blight, Sclerotinia blight, Fusarium wilt Mint Mint • Perennial, grown from vegetative material • Multiple harvests from a field, sold fresh • Pests: Loopers and Cutworms • Diseases: Verticillium wilt and Rust • Produced by 15 to 25 commercial growers in Texas • Menthols and esters are distilled from peppermint and spearmint in the Pacific Northwest Cilantro – Soil Preparation • Prefers a light, well-drained, moderately fertile loam or sandy soil • Can tolerate other soil conditions Cilantro - Planting • Will start to bolt when temperatures exceed 85 degrees F • Plant in February for April harvest; September for November harvest • Plant seeds 2 inches apart in rows 12 to 15 inches apart if plan to harvest leaves • Plant seeds 8 inches apart in rows 15 inches apart if plan to harvest seeds Cilantro - Planting • Plant seeds about ¼ to ½ inch deep • About 2,000 seeds per ounce, so don’t purchase a lot of seeds for the season • Weekly planting will ensure continuous crop Cilantro - Fertilizing • Should be fertilized twice • Apply ½ teaspoon of ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or urea (21-0-0) per square foot Cilantro - Watering • Most critical need for water occurs during seed germination and establishment • Don’t need much water once established Cilantro - Disease • Bacterial Leaf Spot Cilantro - Insects Cabbage Looper Beet Armyworm Green Peach Aphid Cilantro - Weeds • Preplant – use corn gluten meal • Postemergence – use 20% vinegar, cinnamon and clove oil, or d-limonene Cilantro - Harvesting • Ready to harvest 45 to 70 days after seeding • Cut exterior leaves once they reach 4 to 6 inches long • Cut whole plant 1 to 2 inches above soil level to use both small and large leaves Dill Dill Overview • Perennial herb that reaches 2 to 4 feet tall • Leaves are used fresh or dried • Dips, soups, salads • Seeds used as a spice • Pickling and flavoring stews and roasts • Native to southern Russia, western Africa, Mediterranean Dill - Varieties • Best for Texas • Bouquet • Dukat • Fernleaf • Long Island • Superdukat Dill – Site Selection • Plant in full sun • Protect from strong gusts of wind • Can survive temperatures down to 25 degrees Dill – Soil Preparation • Can grow fairly well in poor soil conditions • Grows best in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil that is slightly acidic (pH 5.8-6.5) • Soil temperature should remain at about 70 degrees Dill - Planting • Sow seeds directly in the ground April through May • Should germinate in 10-14 days • Do not transplant • Seedlings should be planted ¾ to 1 inch deep and from 12 to 15 inches apart Dill – Growing in Containers • Can be easily grown in containers, both indoors and outdoors • Choose a deep container to accommodate tall plant and long roots • Place where container will receive at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight daily • Should be ready to harvest within about 8 weeks after seeds were sown Dill - Fertilizing • Broadcast fertilizer or apply as side dressing • Apply either 20-20-20 at a rate of 0.70 pounds per 100 square feet or 15-5-10 at 1 pound per 100 square feet Dill - Harvesting • Outside, dill matures about 90 days after seeding • Leaves can be harvested as soon as they are big enough to use • Contains most flavor before flowering begins • Clip leaves close to stem in the early morning or late evening Dill - Harvesting • Cut seed heads 2 to 3 weeks after bloom • Place cutting in paper bag and allow to dry • Seeds will fall off when they are ready Ginger Ginger Overview • Often grown for its aromatic, pungent and spicy rhizomes – often called ginger root • Main active component: Gingerols – responsible for fragrance and flavor • Texture is firm, knotty, rough, and banded • Flesh can be yellow, white or red, depending upon variety Ginger Overview • Benefits of ginger • Anti-inflammatory compounds can help alleviate arthritis pain • Helps boost immune system • Protects against colorectal cancer • Induce cell death in ovarian cancer Ginger – Site Selection • Thrives best in warm, humid climates • Needs at least 2 to 5 hours of direct sunlight • Protected from strong winds Ginger – Soil Preparation • Best soil is loose, loamy, and rich in organic matter • Thick mulch can retain nutrients, retain water, and help control weeds Ginger - Planting • Cut rhizome into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces before planting; set aside for a few days for surface area to heal and form a callus • Plant in early spring • If buying ginger from store to plant, soak the rhizomes overnight because they are sometimes treated with a growth retardant Ginger - Planting • Plant 6 to 8 inches apart, 2 to 4 inches deep • Can be planted whole or in small pieces • Plants will grow to about 2 to 3 feet tall Ginger - Fertilizing • Add a slow-release organic fertilizer at planting • Liquid fertilizer may be applied every few weeks • Ginger will benefit from fertilizer containing high levels of phosphorus (P) Ginger - Watering • Do not allow plants to dry out while actively growing • Reduce watering as the weather cools • Avoid overwatering Ginger - Harvesting • Harvested by digging up the entire plant • Can be harvested at any stage of maturity; best time is when plant is 8 to 10 months old • After harvest, choose rhizomes for replanting and promptly replant them Ginger - Serving • Store fresh ginger in refrigerator or freezer • Young ginger does not need to be peeled • Mature ginger has a tough skin that needs to be peeled • Sliced, minced, julienned • Level of flavor depends on when it is added • Early in cooking process – hint of flavor • Towards end of cooking – more pungent Ginger - Nutrition • Good source of: • Copper • Magnesium • Manganese • Potassium • Vitamin B6 • Used to relieve gastrointestinal distress Rosemary Rosemary - Overview • Evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region • Leaves are rich in essential oils • Pine-like scent and pungent flavor make them a popular ingredient in foods • Flowers can be white, pink, blue, or any shade in between • Perennial – completes its life cycle in 3 or more years Rosemary - Overview • Two types • Upright • Prostrate • Fairly drought resistant • If healthy enough, can tolerate a light freeze • Most successful when grown from cuttings or transplants Rosemary - Varieties • Best Varieties for Texas: • Albus • Arp • Blue Boy • Dancing Waters • Golden Rain • Pine Scented – best variety for cooking • Porstatus • Roseus • Spice Islands Rosemary – Site Selection • Can be grown in pots or in the ground • Well-drained, loamy, slightly acidic soils • pH between 6.0-7.0 • Should receive at least 6 hours of sun each day Rosemary – Soil Preparation • Remove rocks, weeds, shrubs, tree roots from area to be planted • Soil sample to determine fertility • Amend soil as needed • Add 4 inches organic matter to soil surface and incorporate to a depth of 4-6 inches Rosemary - Planting • Take cutting from already vigorous plant • Clip a 3-inch branch from stem of the plant • Trim off most of the lower leaves to 1 ½” up the stem • Plant 1-2 cuttings into a 3-inch pot • Water • Place pot in windowsill with indirect light, temperature between 60-70 degrees F • Transplant in about 8 weeks Rosemary - Fertilizing • Seldom needs fertilizer • If growth is slow or plant is yellow, apply fertilizer in early spring • To prevent leaf burning, do not apply fertilizer directly to the plant Rosemary - Watering • Too much water can cause root rot • Water every 1 to 2 weeks, depending upon plant size and climate conditions • Allow plants to dry out thoroughly between each watering Rosemary - Diseases • Resists most disease • Susceptible to powdery mildew, aerial blight, bacterial leaf spot, and root rot • Apply fungicide at first sign of disease • Pruning overgrown plants to improve air circulation can minimize disease Rosemary - Insects • Fairly resistant to pests • If plant has scales • Clip off and discard infested plant tips • If plant has mealy bugs • Spray with water, pyrethrum soap, or insecticidal soap • If plant has sucking insects • Decrease nitrogen fertilizer applied Rosemary - Harvesting • Can harvest several times during the season • Allow plants to replace their growth between harvests • Clippings can be used fresh or dried • Fresh cuttings retain their best flavor for 2 to 7 days in the refrigerator Usual span from planting to harvesting rosemary.